3792 -‘Shrooms on the Rocks at Canoe Lake General Store, Algonquin Park

3792 – ‘Shrooms on the Rocks at Canoe Lake General Store, Algonquin Park

Acrylic on Canvas panel

18 x 15 inches

Framed

While on a day trip to Algonquin Park, we stopped at the Canoe Lake General Store, and I discovered these brilliant yellow mushrooms amongst the rocks outside the store. I took several reference photos to use back in my studio.

Both trees and fungi have captured my imagination. Without them we would not survive on the earth. The trees provide the oxygen we need and the fungi along with bacteria break down organic matter and release carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus into the soil and the atmosphere. It’s this and the variety of shapes, colours and locations of fungi that attract me.

I’ve been photographing them for over 40 years but it’s only in the last couple of years they’ve found their way into my paintings. After learning more about their importance, I’m now focussed on more paintings of them.